


Heartbeat Song

by serohtonin



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - High School, Drugs, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Smoking, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 23:32:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4806383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serohtonin/pseuds/serohtonin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teenage Chris goes to a high school party and gets more than he expected in the form of a fellow senior named Darren. Based on <a href="http://daily-crisscolfer-prompts.tumblr.com/post/95588428146/cc-prompt-24">this</a> prompt. Title taken from the Kelly Clarkson song of the same name.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heartbeat Song

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Julia](http://col-fur.tumblr.com/) who inspired me to write this. Happy Birthday! <3
> 
> Disclaimer: Of course I own no one and don’t claim any of this plot to be actual events that took place. Any relationships mentioned herein are complete fiction.

Chris rolls his eyes as Lea drags him out of his car and toward the front door of a house he's never been to before. Somehow she convinced him to come to a party on a Friday night when he'd rather be at home by himself.

_"C'mon, Chris, please," she begged. "You can keep me out of trouble."_

_He scoffed. "I doubt it."_

_"You can get me home safe. Drive me there. Please? If you don't like it, I'll find some other way home." She raised her eyebrows and grinned wickedly._

_He immediately understood. He met her a few years ago as part of his community theater group and after hearing her drone on about all her crushes, he realized she was more than a little boy crazy. He figured if nothing else, he could save her from herself at this party or watch hilariously as she struck out with any of her potential hookups._

_"Fine, Lea, I'll go."_

_"Maybe you'll find some other way home too." She winked and punched him in the arm._

_He simply blushed in response and secretly hoped she was right._

That was how he found himself here, wasting valuable time that he could have spent writing and instead watching drunk teenagers dance to some hip-hop tune on the off chance he might actually have his first real kiss tonight (he reasoned that the one with his neighbor Sarah when they both four years old didn't count).

"Hey." Lea nudges him once they're inside. "If you're really not having a good time, come find me. We can go." She says sincerely enough that he believes her.

He gives her half a smile. "Yeah. Okay."

"Let's go do a shot."

"Lea, I'm supposed to be--"

"Ugh, just do one to ease your nerves. You'll be fine." She groans as they head through the throng of people toward the back of the house.

Between the weirdly sweet aroma almost like incense wafting through the air and the young bodies already groping each other, he already feels like crawling out of his own skin but he continues to humor her, at least for a little while longer.

He even lets her continue holding his hand until they reach the kitchen, where bottles of beer and other unrecognizable liquors are strewn over every surface.

"Aha!" Her face lights up as she grabs a half empty bottle with golden liquid inside it. "This is what we'll do, babe. Then we can go mingle or whatever."

He shoots her a look of disbelief. "I don't mingle."

She returns it, arching an eyebrow. "You will tonight. Have some fun! It's our last year in this miserable town."

He crosses his arms and waits for her to pour the shots into two separate empty cups.

"Okay," she starts, smiling but quickly frowns when she catches sight of Chris. Then she punches his forearm. "Quit scowling. You can do that later on the way home. The night hasn't even begun yet. On three, you will raise this cup and you will swallow down its contents. At least pretend to enjoy it for me?"

He chuckles wryly but she looks so hopeful that he can't resist her. "Alright," he agrees.

"One, two, three," she counts, downing every drop of whatever's in her red plastic cup.

He quickly does the same, the burn coating his throat after he swallows. "Oh, God, what is that?"

"Heaven, otherwise known as tequila," she replies after a grimace.

"Oh, yeah, I can tell," he offers dryly. "How long do I have to stay here again?"

"Until you find a hot guy to hook up with."

"Lea!" His face flushes red hot, suddenly regretting that he came out to her about two weeks ago. "We don't even know if--"

"Look how many people are here! There's gotta be at least one for you."

"What if I don't want that?"

"You know you do." She whispers into his ear. "It's okay. I'll test the waters, be your wing woman. If he's straight and cute enough, I might just snatch him up for myself."

"I'm beginning to see your ulterior motives in this endeavor."

"Shut up and trust me. How about that guy?" She points across the room to a tall blonde who's well-built and conventionally attractive, sipping on a beer and dancing wildly while he chats up some thin brunette girl.

"Pretty. _Too_ pretty. Not my type. Plus he's talking to someone who is decidedly not male."

"So?" She challenges. "He could be--"

She stops when it looks like the guy is shoving his tongue down the other girl's throat. 

"Strike one," she continues, scanning the room for a moment. "How about that guy? I mean his hair is kinda crazy but he seems cute."

He studies her next prospect, a boy wearing a grungy Ninja Turtles shirt, tight jeans and holding a green bottle in his hand. He has dark wild curls that flop over his forehead, partially obscuring his face and nearly overpowering his tiny frame. The guy looks up then, brushing his hair back and that's when Chris sees his eyes, a brilliant hazel, almost golden hue that seem to glow in the dim lights of the living room.

Chris' breath catches in his chest like every cliched first meeting in a romantic movie. He can't believe it but he doesn't betray his feelings to Lea. Instead he lets out a huff of air and feigns disinterest. "He's probably straight."

"You never know until you try."

"You can try. I'll go find a place to do some more scowling."

She sticks her tongue out at him. "Fine. Be like that."

"I will, " he replies bitchily, still staring at the boy. When he finally breaks his gaze away, Lea is gone from his side.

He sighs and decides it's best to go get some air before he does something stupid, like actually talking to the boy who was most likely _not_ staring back at him.

He ends up outside on the back deck surrounded by cigarette smoke and that other smell that clouded the house.

So much for air.

He parks himself in a hard plastic outdoor chair anyway and thinks of pulling out his phone just for something to do when a tap on the shoulder startles him.

He glances up and notices that's it the boy from inside, the one with _those eyes,_ now accompanied by a wide blinding smile.

"Hey, do I, um, do I know you?" he asks, his ridiculously bushy eyebrows drawing together. Somehow they work on that stupidly attractive face that looks even better up close.

Wow, Chris is so done for. 

"No, I don't think so. I've never seen you before."

"That's a lie. I saw you inside two seconds ago." The boy laughs, still clutching his bottle from earlier. "Seriously though, you look kinda familiar."

"Well that's something I've never heard before."

"Really?" The guy stares at him questioningly.

Chris nods. "I don't have that kind of face."

"Huh." The boy shrugs and takes a sip of his beer. "Maybe."

"Yeah. Maybe," Chris repeats, reluctantly turning away from him.

"You, um, you look lonely out here. Care if I join you?"

"You don't want to go dance some more, Afro Boy?" Chris snaps, looking back up at him.

"Nah, I needed a break and ouch, my name's Darren." The guy's eyes shine in the porch light and Chris doesn't think he can refuse his request.

"I guess you can sit with me if you can find your way through all that hair." Chris ducks his head in embarrassment. "Sorry for being so snarky. I don't usually go out to parties like this. Awkward small talk isn't my thing."

"It's alright. I kinda like it. You seem to be doing okay so far," Darren offers, sitting down in the empty chair next to him. 

"We've barely gotten past introductions. It's still early."

Darren laughs again, loudly but somehow melodic. "You're right. I still don't know your name, by the way."

"Chris. It's, uh, Chris."

"Cool. So what brings you here then?"

Chris shrugs. "Free food. A promise to look after my friend who's already lost somewhere, probably with her boy of the moment."

"I see. What a great friend you are," he comments sarcastically but his grin indicates that there isn't any malice in his statement.

"The best," Chris answers. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"True," Darren acquiesces. "I could help you find her if you'd like." 

He debates, watching as Darren turns his head out toward the backyard and sips his drink. It offers Chris a lovely view of his tanned, slightly stubbled jaw and the Adam's apple bobbing in his neck as he swallows.

"I--I'm sure she's okay," Chris stutters, hoping he's not giving himself away.

"Good, because I'd like to attempt some more awkward small talk with you if that's alright." He looks at Chris again and smiles.

Chris smiles back but lets Darren carry the conversation at first; he goes on about how he's a senior in high school from San Francisco and he tagged along with an old friend from summer camp who knew the host of the party.

Chris gives away that he lives here in Clovis and is also a senior hoping to head to a place like San Fran or L.A. once he graduates, though he doesn't have any set plan on how exactly he's getting there. 

Darren says the latter city is his goal one day but first he's off to study theatre in Michigan, which apparently has a stellar undergraduate program.

Chris' eyes go wide. "You want to act?"

"Yeah, man. I've been doing it in school plays and local stuff ever since I was a kid. I wanted to be the genie in 'Aladdin' and when I realized that was a real job, I did everything I could to get it. What about you?"

"I do local theater too, because it's fun. I don't know if I'm going to pursue it. What I really want to do is write a screenplay or a novel maybe."

He purses his lips and leans into Chris' space a little. "Wow, that's-that ambitious. The only writing I do is shitty songs on my guitar and piano."

Chris finds he doesn't mind the invasion and rather wants to learn more about this guy. "Maybe you should stick to that," he remarks playfully. "You do realize that a genie is not an actual profession, right?"

Darren presses his palm to the middle of chest in mock offense. "Don't you dare crush my dreams, Chris. You're breaking my heart."

He becomes aware of his own heartbeat then, thudding loudly in his ears despite the pounding bass that spills from inside the house. But he ignores it and decides to tease this guy again instead. "Oh well. Better to be disappointed now before you spend all that time studying for it."

Darren lowers his hand and it lands on the arm of the chair, dangerously close to Chris' forearm. "I guess you're right. How about you console me with a dance?"

Chris moves slightly, Darren's fingers brushing his arm. "Sure."

"Awesome!" Darren replies as he sets down his beer bottle.

Chris doesn't miss his tongue peeking out from between those full pink lips.

Yeah, Chris is totally gone, especially as Darren clasps his hand warmly and leads him back inside.

He's still not sure if this is one big practical joke, if Darren is experimenting or if he somehow landed in an alternate universe where good-looking theater geeks are interested in him.

They stand in a spot in the corner of the large living room and Darren sadly lets go of his hand. "You're thinking kinda loudly," Darren murmurs in his ear. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Are we, um--? Is this, um--?" Chris stammers.

"Is it what?" Darren interrupts, rubbing at Chris' elbow.

"Is this a pity dance, since I was alone out there?" He looks down, unable to meet Darren's eyes.

"Not at all," Darren answers, tilting Chris' chin with his free hand. "Chris, I asked you to dance because I like you, okay?"

Chris gulps, encountering nothing but earnestness in those damn eyes. "Oh. Okay."

"Yeah. Okay." Darren grins, his hands dropping from Chris' body. "So let's dance."

Chris just stares as Darren shuffles his feet to the pop-rock tune blaring from the huge speaker a few feet away. Chris' eyes drift up, sticking on Darren's loosely swaying hips and trying not to think about how it would feel to touch the bare skin lying underneath his thin shirt.

"What are you doing, silly? Don't just stand there. Dance," Darren urges, breaking him from his thoughts.

His cheeks feel hot and he stays still, leaving an inch of space between them. "Sorry, like I've said, this is unfamiliar territory for me." 

"Relax. It's only a dance."

Chris raises an eyebrow at him. 

"Go with what you feel. All you have to do is move," Darren explains.

"R-right."

"Wow, you're adorable." Darren snickers and reaches out, his hands finding Chris' hips. "Here, let me show you how it's done. Just kind of swing these babies back and forth, like I'm doing."

Chris tenses for a moment, Darren's hands burning his skin even through the thick denim of his jeans. 

"If you're uncomfortable, I can stop. I'm not gonna force you to do anything you don't want to do, man," Darren tells him gently.

"No, it's okay," Chris quickly assures him, not wanting to scare him off. "I need your guidance. I'd be totally lost without you." 

Then Chris rolls his hips experimentally.

Darren clears his throat, crowding closer to Chris. "That's, um, that's perfect. Do it again."

Chris follows his instruction until he finds a rhythm. "Like this?"

"Exactly like that." Darren's grip tightens, the front of their pants brushing together. Soon, Darren's pressing into him, his breath hot on Chris' neck. "So fucking sweet."

Chris keeps moving; his hands cautiously curl around Darren's sides and then his thumbs run back and forth over the material of his shirt. His palms feel damp and beads of sweat gather at his forehead but Chris doesn't care because he's finally close to a boy who wants him. It awakens a long held ache that Chris didn't even know existed. For the first time, a very real hope blooms in his chest, threatening to escape from him. If he just turns his head at the right moment, he might get the kiss he's been waiting for ever since he looked at a boy and felt his heart flutter.

"Chris," he hears Darren whisper in his ear.

Then Chris turns, his lips _thisclose_ to Darren's own. Chris takes a breath to steel himself and--

"Hey, hey, hey!" A booming voice shouts, the tension between them crumbling as Chris jumps away, not noticing Darren's frown. "It's time for a little game."

Chris looks up, observing a boy who looks solid and is probably a football player. 

"Everyone's favorite, with a twist of course," the guy adds.

Alarm fills Chris, wondering what he's doing here. Then Darren grabs his hand once more, easing his nerves a bit.

"I'm going to pick two people, any gender, and they have to stay in the closet for seven minutes. Whatever they do, it's their choice but I think we all know what happens behind closed doors." The boy raises his eyebrows. "That's right. It's called seven minutes in heaven and you're at my mercy, bitches."

Chris thinks this could become a disaster very, very fast, or as he glances over at Darren's gorgeous profile, he thinks it could go extremely well.

Either way, there's a lot of potential for humiliation and he isn't sure how he'll handle it.

"Okay, first victims. You," he points to Chris, who immediately snatches his hand away from Darren's. "And, um, you next to him."

The boy gestures to Darren who shrugs and looks over at Chris. He could swear Darren is blushing.

"We've totally got this, right, Chris?" Darren says casually.

"Guess we'll find out."

There are whoops and jeers from the part of the crowd that is actually paying attention. He can hear some girl chattering with her friend about what an abomination this is and how she should just leave now. Her friend reminds her that they're too drunk to go anywhere and they might as well get a free show. Chris feels like disappearing to the backyard again and remembers all the reasons he wants to get out of this town.

"Alright." Chris sighs. "Let's get this over with."

"So, um, there's no closet in here. He really didn't think this through," Darren comments quietly to Chris. Then he addresses the boy who's the ringleader of the game. "Where are we going exactly?"

"To the bathroom down the hall. First door on the right."

"Okay," Darren answers.

"Don't try to leave early either. I'm standing outside the door and timing it," the boy says, leading the way. "Anyone who wants a front row seat, follow me."

The boy walks out of the room and motions for Darren and Chris to join him. Darren places a hand on Chris' lower back and pushes him forward, a small crowd gathering behind them. The boy informs them that the time starts as soon the door shuts.

Chris opens the door to the bathroom, his hands shaking as he turns the knob. Darren is right there, telling him that everything will be fine as Chris enters the narrow space. The door clicks closed and Chris turns to face Darren.

"I knew I shouldn't have come here," Chris blurts out. "I knew something like this would happen."

Darren walks toward him and laughs wryly. "Like being trapped in a bathroom with a guy you wanted to kiss five minutes ago? Oh, this is such a terrible predicament for you." 

Chris crosses his arms and levels Darren with a glare. "I'm sure this has never happened to you before, Mr. San Francisco, but I--"

Darren presses a finger to Chris' lips. "You're cute when you're mad but we're wasting valuable time. Yeah, they're assholes but don't think about them. Think of the opportunity here. Do you know that I've been dying to kiss you since the moment I laid eyes on you?"

Chris shakes his head, his body tensing for an entirely different reason.

"So forget about what's out there and let me kiss you, okay?" Darren asks softly, dragging his finger down Chris' chin and cupping his cheek.

"Okay," Chris breathes out, focusing on Darren's eyes, honey colored swirled with specks of green. He blinks and Darren leans in, his other hand cradling the other side of Chris' jaw.

Then there's a featherlight brush of lips against his and it feels nothing like the kiss from childhood. A spark ignites everywhere that Darren is touching him and he wants more so he presses harder, his hands clenching tightly at his sides. Darren moves to suck on Chris' upper lip and then his lower one. A hint of tongue slips past the seam of his mouth and Chris welcomes it, allowing Darren further access.

With that, Chris surges forward and gains the courage to fist his fingers in the front of Darren's shirt. Darren takes control, turning Chris to the left and backing him against the sink. The cold porcelain digs into Chris' lower back but he doesn't care because Darren's lips are still on his and his tongue is in his mouth, oh _wow,_ this is what kissing is supposed to feel like. Now he fully comprehends why almost everyone around his age chases after potential dates.

Darren pulls away then, his forehead resting against Chris' own. "Now do you regret showing up here?"

Chris grins. "I'm still debating it actually."

"I see. Do you need a more persuasive argument?"

"Mmm, maybe."

"God, I want you so fucking bad right now."

"Yeah?" Chris bites his lip.

"Yes. I just--They're gonna be opening the door soon, and I, um--I don't know if--"

"I want you too if you couldn't tell, so maybe we could explore it somewhere else?" Chris tries boldly, though he's unsure exactly what Darren wants. Whatever it is, Chris thinks he'd probably give it.

Darren pulls back to gaze at him, his eyes full of warmth and tenderness. "Hmm. How about after this, we go outside and see where the night takes us?" 

"I'd like that."

"Good, 'cause I don't want to say goodbye to you yet."

Chris is ready to reply but doesn't get the chance, the voice from before yelling that time is up. He's glad that his time with Darren isn't up yet though.

He isn't ready to say goodbye either. 

They ignore the laughs as they exit the bathroom and Darren flips off the guy who organized the game.

"Joke's on you, you dick," Darren remarks in passing. "It actually _was_ heaven to me."

Chris blushes and silently lets Darren take him back to the deck where they had their first conversation.

"I can't believe that line you gave him," Chris tells Darren, their hands still intertwined.

"It wasn't a line. It was the truth," Darren states, squeezing his hand. "I really like you."

"Oh." He swallows, his hand sweating in Darren's own.

"Chris, I-I'd like to take you out some time if that's okay."

"That-That sounds good to me." 

"Wow, you're so--" Darren starts, staring down at Chris' lips. "I'm just gonna--"

Chris' eyebrows raise in shock as Darren plants a quick kiss on his mouth.

"Wow. Yeah. Heaven. I was right," Darren confirms.

Chris chuckles. "Y'know, my friend said earlier that tequila was heaven. She couldn't be more wrong."

"Exactly."

They sit holding hands and chatting on the deck for the rest of the night, ignoring any sideways glances they receive. Darren eventually sits in his lap and nuzzles into Chris' neck, murmuring how glad he is that they both showed up here.

After a little while, Lea finds the two of them and there's a smile bursting across her face.

"See? What did I tell you? You didn't even need my help." Lea chimes in lieu of a greeting.

Darren looks at Chris questioningly. 

Chris ducks his head. "Here it comes."

Darren kisses his nose. "What?"

"I told you so!" Lea exclaims. 

"That," Chris states. "I'll tell you about it later."

"Or maybe on our date?"

"Yeah." Chris smiles.

Darren reaches into the front pocket of Chris' pants and raises his eyebrows. "Your phone?"

"You found it," Chris blushes, noticing his phone in Darren's hand.

They exchange numbers and after one last kiss and a promise to set up a date, Chris leaves, floating on a high more intoxicating than any alcohol.

He can't wait for what's next. 


End file.
